Emma Chenier

Introduction

When I began my Cohort 21 journey, I asked myself a question that would reshape my entire approach to teaching: How might we engage students in critically reflective practices to help them see their own growth as a work in progress, thereby fostering confidence in navigating academic, athletic, and personal challenges?

This question emerged from a deep conviction that our students need more than skill development—they need to see themselves as capable, resilient learners. In our arts classroom, where vulnerability and growth are essential, I wanted to create a culture where reflection wasn’t something we did to students as a summative exercise, but something we did with them, continuously, as a way of understanding their own evolution.

What I Did & Its Impact

The main phase of my action plan became the Students Teaching Staff events—held a few times throughout the year. Here’s how it works: grade 9/10 students who have been playing their instrument for just 3-6 months teach a staff member (teacher, administrator, custodian) how to play a woodwind or brass instrument for the first time!

It’s a simple idea, but the impact is profound.

When a student becomes the expert, everything shifts. They suddenly have evidence of their own growth—tangible proof that they can do something. After each event, we engage in explicit journaling practices where students connect what they noticed about their own progress through what they done with the staff. This isn’t surface-level reflection; it’s critical reflection that asks students to articulate how they’ve grown and why that matters.

Beyond the events themselves, I implemented a course reflection form where students wrote about their overall experience in the class and the skills they felt they’d developed. I also redesigned one of our exams to be reflection-based, asking students to summarize what they’ve learned about themselves through the course—not just what they’ve learned about music.

To keep the work visible and alive all year, I posted my Cohort question in the classroom so students could leave comments, set goals, and track their thinking over time in relation to the question. This simple practice transformed reflection from something that happens at the end of a unit into something that’s constantly present, constantly evolving.

The results have been meaningful. Students are now able to talk about their growth in more sophisticated ways. Importantly, they’re connecting what they’ve learned in music class to their other subjects and their lives outside of school. They’re setting more meaningful goals for themselves. And perhaps most significantly, they’ve moved from initial resistance to genuine enthusiasm for the events—they want to participate because they’ve internalized the value of what we’re doing.

What I Learned

This year taught me that students are far more resilient learners than I initially believed.

I entered this work thinking students would constantly need explicit subject knowledge and direct instruction to grow. Instead, I discovered they’re remarkably capable of learning through their peers and from resources they find themselves. This peer learning also helped them develop problem-solving skills—they weren’t just learning music; they were learning how to learn.

This realization fundamentally shifted my teaching practice. I’ve become more open to hearing a wide variety of reflective practices from students, rather than imposing a single “right way” to reflect. And in doing so, I’ve deepened my own reflective practices. I’m more intentional about examining my own teaching, my assumptions, and my growth as an educator.

The journey to student buy-in wasn’t immediate. Initially, some students were hesitant about the teaching events. But I learned something crucial: consistency matters. When students noticed that we kept revisiting reflection throughout the year—that it wasn’t going away—they began to trust the process. Reflection became a cultural norm, not a one-time activity.

One ongoing challenge has been engaging grade-motivated students. These are students who are primarily focused on the outcome (the grade) rather than the process. I’m still learning how to help them shift their focus, but I’m committed to emphasizing the process alongside the end result. Their growth matters, even if it doesn’t show up as an A.

Resources That Shaped My Work

Stephen Brookfield’s Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher was foundational to my thinking. Brookfield makes an important distinction: teachers can either inhibit or encourage critical reflection. He also challenges us to recognize that many reflection exercises we call “effective” are actually meaningless for students. Critical reflection is fundamentally different—it’s engaging, meaningful, and purposeful. This framework helped me design reflection practices that actually matter.

Beyond the research, I created event templates and reflective templates that are now being used across my school. These practical tools help other educators structure their own reflective practices in ways that are meaningful rather than performative.

My Big Takeaway

Here’s what I’ve come to understand: Reflection does not have to be something we focus on once in the classroom when we move toward a summative assessment. It can be something we use to create a long-term reflective and growth “portfolio”—like a journal—that students build throughout the year.

But there’s more to it than that. By engaging members outside of the classroom—other teachers, administrators, the broader school community—the reflection and skills branch far beyond the music classroom. When a student teaches a staff member and then reflects on that experience, they’re not just growing as musicians. They’re growing as communicators, as teachers, as confident young people who can see themselves as capable of helping others.

That’s huge.

Lingering Questions & Future Directions

As I reflect on this year, a new question has emerged: How can I encourage students to kickstart their own reflective practices, and use the strategies they’ve learned to notice growth during challenging times?

This is the next frontier for me. I want students to internalize these reflective practices so deeply that when they face a difficult moment—whether in music, academics, athletics, or their personal lives—they instinctively turn to reflection as a tool for understanding and growth. I want them to own this practice, not just participate in it because I’ve structured it.

This year has shown me that reflection, when done critically and consistently, is transformative. It’s not just about noticing growth—it’s about building the confidence and resilience our students need to navigate an uncertain world. As I move forward, I’m committed to deepening this work and helping students become their own reflective practitioners.

Hello!

As I reflect on the learning journey my Grade 9 and 10 students and I have been navigating together, I find myself thinking about how we might better support their transition into our school community.

The Core Issue

My Grade 9 students are currently struggling to adopt to our school culture and meet classroom expectations. Through careful observation, I’ve noticed that my traditional, teacher-directed reflection exercises have inadvertently become performative rather than transformative. Students are not engaging with authentic honesty, and more importantly, the insights they generate are not translating into meaningful behavior change. This is challenging to reconcile with my commitment to fostering genuine learning and growth.

I recognize that several factors may be contributing to this dynamic. Students may not yet feel the psychological safety required for vulnerable reflection, or they may not understand the personal relevance of the reflection process itself. Additionally, the methods I’ve employed—primarily survey and writing-based—may not align with how these particular students naturally process and express their thinking. Rather than viewing this as a deficit in student engagement, I see it as an opportunity to redesign my approach in ways that are more equitable and responsive to their needs.

Key Insights Discovered Through Dialogue

• Students naturally reflect on their social awareness with peers, though these conversations tend to remain surface-level.
• They demonstrate the capacity to acknowledge fault, yet struggle to connect that insight to concrete behavioural change.
• They respond more authentically when invited to notice positive behaviours and abilities as action points for the future, rather than focusing solely on areas of struggle.
• Writing-based reflection feels permanent and exposing to them; alternative methods may create more equitable opportunities for honest expression.
• Trust and belonging must be established first—authentic reflection requires psychological safety within the community.
• A gradual progression from personal reflection → classroom community reflection → application beyond the classroom builds sustainable agency and transferable skills.

A Proposed Solution: Nature-Based Classroom Strengths Visualization

Core Concept: I propose creating a visible, shared classroom ecosystem using a nature board that serves as an analogy for collective growth. Students would visualize their individual strengths and areas for growth, making our community’s learning journey transparent and actionable. Through conversations and activities centred around this board, students can develop a reflective toolkit that strengthens both their individual growth and our shared sense of community.

Why This Approach Aligns With Our Values

• Transparency: When strengths and challenges are visible to all, students see the full picture of our classroom ecosystem rather than feeling isolated in their struggles.
• Normalization: Struggle becomes part of our community narrative—a natural part of growth—rather than something shameful or individual.
• Connection: Students recognize they are not alone; others are navigating similar challenges, which builds belonging.
• Actionability: Visible patterns spark genuine conversations about solutions, moving from observation to concrete next steps.
• Agency: Students choose how to represent their learning through methods that feel authentic and personally meaningful to them.

Implementation Timeline: December 2025 – April 2026

Phase 1: December (Planning & Design)

• Finalize the nature board design and physical setup.
• Develop a redesigned learning journal assignment for the second half of the school year.
• Create a conversation protocol for facilitating both peer and teacher-led reflection discussions.
• Prepare materials and gather necessary resources.

Phase 2: January (Pilot Launch – Class 1)

• Starting Point: The larger of my two classes (18 students).
• First Task: Redesign the second-half-of-year assignment around the nature board visualization, replacing the assignment students are currently finding less engaging.
• Method: Students create visual representations of their classroom strengths and areas for growth, connecting them to valuable learning outcomes and desires.
• Process: One-on-one conversations with me, leveraging the positive rapport we’ve already established, to help students identify honest reflections.
• Outcome: The nature board becomes a living, visible representation of our classroom community and serves as a reference point for building positive partnerships and strengthening our collective sense of belonging.

Phase 3: January – February (Refinement & Adaptation)

• Observe what is working: Are students engaging with greater honesty? Is their sense of belonging increasing? Are insights translating into action within my class and potentially in other contexts?
• Gather feedback from students and make thoughtful adaptations.
• Develop and test the conversation protocol for facilitating peer discussions about patterns and actionable next steps.

Phase 4: February – March (Integration – Class 2)

• Introduce the nature board and redesigned learning journal to my second class (10 students).
• Adapt the approach based on what I’ve learned from Class 1, ensuring equitable opportunities for all students.
• Continue refining the conversation protocol based on ongoing observations.

Phase 5: March – April (Scaling & Transfer)

• Help students recognize how their classroom reflection skills transfer to other classes and life contexts.
• Facilitate conversations about applying their insights and agency beyond my classroom.
• Document the journey and celebrate growth with students.

Key Milestones & Success Indicators

• December: Conversation protocol designed and all materials prepared.
• January: Nature board launched in Class 1; initial student visualizations complete.
• February: Evidence of increased honesty in reflections; students beginning to notice patterns and generate actionable ideas.
• March: Nature board integrated into Class 2; students demonstrating behavior change aligned with their reflections.
• April: Students articulating how classroom reflection skills apply to other contexts and areas of their lives.

Actionable Next Steps (December 2025)

1. Design the conversation protocol: Create a structured approach for facilitating peer and teacher-led discussions about classroom strengths and growth areas. This will include: What guiding questions will I ask? How will I help students move from observation to concrete, actionable commitments? How will I give space to allow my students to design their own reflective practices?
2. Finalize the nature board: Determine the physical setup, materials, and process for how students will add and update their representations. Have students design the board so I can see what representation would best help them visualize, collaborate, and connect with the class.
3. Redesign the learning journal: Create a new assignment structure that replaces the current assignment and better engages students.
4. Prepare one-on-one conversation guides: Develop prompts to facilitate honest, personal reflections with each student.
5. Set observation criteria: Clarify what I will be looking for in January to determine whether this approach is building agency and belonging as intended.

Looking Forward

This design thinking process has moved me from identifying a challenge—dishonest, performative reflection—toward a solution rooted in community, visibility, and genuine student agency. By making strengths and growth visible, normalizing struggle as part of our shared narrative, and building trust through meaningful one-on-one conversations, I am creating conditions where my Grade 9 students can develop authentic critical reflection skills and carry them forward into their lives beyond my classroom.

The nature board will become more than an assignment; it will serve as a symbol of our collective belonging and a catalyst for honest, actionable conversation. I am hopeful that this approach will help bridge the gap between insight and sustained behaviour change.

I welcome your thoughts, feedback, or suggestions as I move forward with this work. 🌱